Projects

Period: May 2021

Details: This critical dialogue examines the creative processes of Zen Teh, a Singapore environmental artist, focusing on her personal experiences and observations leading to a collaborative mode of inquiry to create immersive artistic works to raise awareness towards environmental issues. The dialogue stems from an ongoing research project (RI 4/19 LCH) funded by the National Institute of Education (Singapore) Academic Research Fund: Self and Society in Singapore Contemporary Art: An Intersectional Exploration of Identity Politics Among Emerging Singaporean Artists

Images of Practice

Details: 

This research project is an in-depth qualitative study that aims to add to nascent local research literature investigating the nature of arts teaching in schools. Through 18 case studies of community nominated 'outstanding' arts educators in dance, drama, music, and visual arts, the study will examine how these arts educators define teaching in the arts and how they actually teach and engage students in the various arts disciplines.

This is a collaborative project between NIE, the Ministry of Education's Co-Curricular Activities Branch (CCAB) and the National Arts Council (NAC).

Rather than highlighting ‘best practices’, the findings below seek to provide an authentic view of teaching moments. In each tab, you will find videos of teaching, lesson plans, practitioners’ reflections and narratives, student work, and material artifacts of teaching and learning. We hope that this page will become a resource for teacher professional development hence we invite all educators to view this gallery.

In this documentation project, informed consent was obtained from participating teachers and parents; assent was also obtained from the students. We are grateful to all these teachers, principals, students, and families for making this project possible.

Funders: This project is made possible by a generous grant from the National Institute of Education, Office of Educational Research (OER 7/10 LCH – Images of Practice in Arts Education in Singapore) & a National Arts Council (Singapore) grant

Principal Investigator: Lum Chee Hoo
Co Principal Investigators: Prudence Wales, Sirene Lim May Yin, Pamela Onishi Costes, Cecily Charlotte Cheo, Eric Peter Stead, Goh-Leung Lai Keun, Susie Lingham
Research Assistants: Tai Shuxia, Donn Gonda, Ysa Marie Cayabyab, Lu Shanhwa, Clarence Tan, Tai Shixiong, Pau Xi Ling

Schools

1st Toa Payoh Primary School
Ai Tong Primary School
Ang Mo Kio Secondary School
Assumption Pathway School
Cedar Primary School
CHIJ Katong Convent
Elias Park Primary School
Eton House Pre-School (Vanda Road)
Mayflower Primary School
Montfort Junior School
Nanyang Girls High School
National Institute of Education
North Vista Primary School
Pasir Ris Secondary School
Paya Lebar Methodist Girl’s School
Queenstown Primary School
Singapore American School
St. Anthony’s Canossian Primary School
St. Hilda’s Primary School
Tampines North Primary School
Tampines Primary School
West Spring Secondary School
Yishun Primary School
Yishun Secondary School

Other Participants

Senior Participants from Jurong Spring Community Club and Youth Volunteers from Singapore Polytechnic

Community Drumming Network

Details: This study sought to gain insights into the social impact of community drumming networks that are held in the community centres around the island, and to understand the mechanisms of it in order to advocate and support art interest groups in Singapore. The research is a partnership with and co-funded by the National Arts Council. 

Principal Investigator : Pamela Constes-Onishi
Research Assistant: Tam Peck Hoon 

Practices, Perceptions, and Needs of Primary School Generalist Art & Music Teachers in Singapore

Principal Investigator: Pamela Costes-Onishi
Co- Principal Investigator: Imelda Caleon, Lum Chee Hoo and Kehk Bee Lian
Research Assistant: Clarence Tan

Implementing the 3Ps Professional Development Framework in the Design of a New Professional Development Curriculum

Music teachers have given feedback that they need training in different music traditions. Based on interactions with music teachers, STAR observed that many music teachers in Singapore seem to have: a) little understanding of the diverse music traditions in Singapore; and, b) how these musics could be taught in the 21st century general music classroom. As there are many music traditions in Singapore, and teachers have limited time to acquire these diverse knowledge and skills, STAR seeks to address the challenge to efficiently and effectively develop music teachers' understanding of these music traditions through a workshop to a level that teachers are confident of their abilities to teach these with appropriate pedagogies. STAR believes that the 3Ps framework provides a way forward in designing resources and curriculum that will provide teachers with the tools and some confidence to teach local music traditions in their classes.
This study is a 'proof of concept' development project which seeks to examine how the STAR's 3Ps framework could be applied in the design of the curriculum and how each 'P' weighs in to increase teachers' confidence and competence in teaching local music traditions in the general music classroom.

Related Website: http://www.star.moe.edu.sg/star-professional-development-programmes/music-programmes/milestone-programmes/teaching-living-legends

Principal Investigator: Dr Lum Chee Hoo
Co-Principal Investigator: Dr Pamela Costes-Onishi
Research Assistant: Lu Shanhwa, Tai Shuxia

Details: This study aims to track and examine the development and implementation of a multi-disciplinary immersive arts experience, BOTH SIDES, NOW, which explores end-of-life issues. BOTH SIDES, NOW is a community arts project that encourages its audiences to move away from perceiving death and dying as taboo subjects and to engage in authentic and important discussions about ‘what it means to live well, and to leave well’. It aims to embolden healthcare workers, caregivers and members of the general public to explore end-of-life issues and engage in conversations about living and dying. By fostering these types of conversations, the creative team of BOTH SIDES, NOW hopes to cultivate a greater awareness of the things people value in life, how they want to live and the end-of-life decisions they might want to make. BOTH SIDES, NOW invites its audiences to share their thoughts, feelings, ideas and stories on living and dying, and to consider what they want for themselves and those they love. This research project aims to investigate the ways the arts event BOTH SIDES, NOW has been perceived by, and impacted stakeholders and audiences, and identify ways in which communities have responded to the work. It seeks to identify what can be learned from immersive arts experiences like this, and identify elements of the work that engage communities. In addition, the study proposes to examine the research and creative processes of the creative team in the development of the work.

Details: The Artists-In-School-Scheme (AISS) for Pre-Schools which is a “ collaboration between NAC and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to enable pre-schoolers to gain access to quality and sustained arts programmes specifically designed by arts practitioners” (National Arts Council, 2014) serves as a gateway to beginning research on teacher-artists partnerships in the pre-school sector in Singapore. As stated in the aims and objectives of the AISS, through interactive lessons, “children will broaden their learning perspectives through spontaneous exploration and expression. In addition, early childhood educators can also receive specialized training workshops by arts practitioners, as part of this programme. This will enable them to co-design and co-deliver the arts programme with the artist. These knowledge and skills can subsequently be integrated into the centres’ curriculum.“ (National Arts Council, 2014). The purpose of this research study is thus to examine the Artists-in-Schools-Scheme (AISS) for Pre-School in terms of the partnership process, student learning processes and teacher professional development.

Details:  The Artists-In-School-Scheme (AISS) for Pre-Schools which is a
“ collaboration between NAC and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to enable pre-schoolers to gain access to quality and sustained arts programmes specifically designed by arts practitioners” (National Arts Council, 2014) serves as a gateway to beginning research on teacher-artists partnerships in the pre-school sector in Singapore. As stated in the aims and objectives of the AISS, through interactive lessons, “children will broaden their learning perspectives through spontaneous exploration and expression. In addition, early childhood educators can also receive specialized training workshops by arts practitioners, as part of this programme. This will enable them to co-design and co-deliver the arts programme with the artist. These knowledge and skills can subsequently be integrated into the centres’ curriculum.“ (National Arts Council, 2014). The purpose of this research study is thus to examine the Artists-in-Schools-Scheme (AISS) for Pre-School in terms of the partnership process, student learning processes and teacher professional development.